The 2nd of June 1958 was to be Gayundah’s last day afloat. Having been purchased by the Redcliffe Town Council, she was towed to Woody Point (on the Redcliffe Peninsula, north of Brisbane) where she was scuttled at the base of the Picnic Point Cliffs, to serve as a breakwater to reduce cliff erosion.
Ironically, in some small way, Gayundah continues to protect Queensland, just as she was built to do.
Gayundah at rest. Copyright (C) 1998 Michael Reed.
The decaying remains of the once proud Gayundah lie off Picnic Point, on the Redcliffe Peninsula, north of Brisbane, Queensland.
Behind her can be seen the remains of other vessels. These are believed to be the wartime built ALC 40 (a 40 ton Australian landing craft) and the Thunderer – an explosives barge of the Queensland Harbours & Marine Department.
The Last Day
The event was recorded in the Brisbane newspapers:
“Pride of the State is sunk.” (from
the ‘Brisbane Courier’ 3 June, 1958).
Redcliffe:- a gunboat that was once the pride of Queensland’s
Navy was sunk last night to act as a breakwater at Woody Point.
The ship GAYUNDAH was the flagship of the Queensland Navy in 1885. She
was one of two gunboats in the state at the time. Because the sea has
been eroding a 60ft. high cliff at Picnic Point, the Redcliffe Town
Council decided to sink GAYUNDAH at the base of the cliff.
SUNK at 10p.m.
Council workmen dug five feet excavations at the base of the cliff yesterday
afternoon when the tide was out. The hulk was towed from Brisbane and
was filled with water to sink it in the excavations at 10p.m. last night.
Later the council will fill the hulk with concrete.
GAYUNDAH which had a beam of 115 feet and weighed 360 tons, was built
in Scotland in 1884 and arrived Brisbane in 1885. In the First World
War she was used as a floating battery in Moreton Bay and then as a
minesweeper.
GRAVEL BARGE
Some years after the war the vessel, which had been in disuse, sank.
It was refloated in 1930 and used as a gravel barge.
She was declared unseaworthy last year and was bought from the State
Government by the Redcliffe Town Council.
As you have probably noticed, the article is full of factual inaccuracies. Nevertheless you can see how Gayundah came to rest where she lies.
Reaction
It should be noted that not all people were in favour of allowing Gayundah to rot so ignobly:
The good ship Gayundah
(letter to the editor of the Courier-Mail, published 13 May 1987)
"I refer to your news item and photos (C-M,
May 5) about the Gayundah.
As an alderman on the Redcliffe Town Council some 30 years ago, I advocated
and attempted, with the help of the Government, to give the Gayundah
– Queensland’s first Royal Navy boat – an honorable
discharge.
My idea was to stabilise the vessel, in an upright position, fill the
bottom of the hull with concrete, then above this base set a dance floor
and restaurant on the mid and top decks. This then would become a tourist
attraction as well as a lucrative business venture.
Today this could be a viable proposition and at least give Queenslanders
a little more pride in their State, rather than displaying a rusting
hulk which no-one would wish to see or even write about". –
A.R. Black, Maroochydore South.
I must say that Mr Black was wrong in his assessment
that no-one would even wish to write about the Gayundah !
You can visit the ship yourself if you are in the area. Just make sure
you go at low tide.
As far as stabilising the cliffs, there have also been a number of other
vessels (barges) sunk at the same site, but the cliffs continue to be
eroded; albeit at a slower rate than they otherwise might have been.
Given time, nature will reclaim the Gayundah.
Let us not forget her.